IAAF World Championships in Athletics

The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. It is one of the largest sporting events in the world, and depending on how it is measured, possibly smaller only than the Olympic Games and the Football World Cup. Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.

History

The idea of having an Athletics World Championships was around well before the competitions first event in 1983. In 1913, the IAAF decided that the Olympic Games would serve as the World Championships for athletics. This was considered suitable for over 50 years until in the 1960's the desire of many IAAF members to have their own World Championships began to grow. In 1976 at the IAAF Council Meeting in Puerto Rico an Athletics World Championships separate from the Olympic Games was approved.

Related Topics:
1983 - 1913 - IAAF - Olympic Games - 1976 - Puerto Rico

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Following bids from both Stuttgart, Germany and Helsinki, Finland, the IAAF Council awarded the inaugral competition to Helsinki, to take place in 1983 and be held in the Helsinki Olympic Stadium (where the 1952 Summer Olympics were held).

Related Topics:
Stuttgart - Germany - Helsinki - Finland - Helsinki Olympic Stadium - 1952 Summer Olympics

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Over the years the competition has grown in size. In 1983 an estimated 1,300 athletes from 154 countries participated. By the 2003 competition, in Paris, it had grow to 1,907 athletes from 203 countries with coverage being transmitted to 179 differnet countries.

Related Topics:
1983 - Paris

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There has also been a change in the schedule over the years, with several new events, mostly for women, being added. By the 2005 the schedule for men and women was all but equal. The only differences being the men had the extra event of the 50 km Walk, while women competed in the 100 m Hurdles and Heptathlon compared to the men in the 110m Hurdles and Decathlon respectively.

Related Topics:
2005 - 50 km Walk - 100 m Hurdles - Heptathlon - Decathlon

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The following shows when new events were added for the first time.

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• 1987, women's 10,000 m and 10 km walk were added.
• 1993, women's triple jump was added.
• 1995, women's 5000 m was added, replacing the 3000 m race.
• 1999, women's pole vault and hammer were added and the women's 20 km walk replaced the 10 km walk.
• 2005, women's 3000 m Steeplechase was added.